12 Answers

By Vickie Ortega
- Posted on Jul 5, 2011

614

sure, budgeting your money is important and you will get lots of advise on that. the real trick is budgeting your time. people say to take time for yourself, but that's easier said than done. you can have the best husband and the most help from friends and family, yet some how you will keep feeling like you can't (or shouldn't) take time for your self. my son is 3 and i still struggle with this every day... i guess my only advise would be to try to get back to something as close as possible to pre-baby-you-activites. If you like to get your nails done, get your nails done. if you like to color your hair, color your hair. if you play sports, keep playing. you may not be able to do it as often and you might have to looks for cost savings alternatives, but just do it. You will feel more normal and more alive.

3

By Tina Quirarte Loeffler
- Posted on Jul 4, 2011

2116

Um...EVERYTHING for the rest of your life.

2

By Melissa Pierce Neff
- Posted on Jul 4, 2011

513

Money for the doctor and prescriptions--especially if your child will be in daycare--and even more if he is formula fed and not breast fed. At home, my breastfed bunch went to the doc about once or twice a year. When we put them in daycare for a year and a half, they were sick about once or twice a month--or at least one or two of us were (they brought things home to us adults, too).

You'll probably get showered with the basics at first, so clothes, etc., shouldn't be a problem. After that, check out garage sales and the local resale shops to supplement your new-clothes purchases.

Money for formula if you don't breastfeed. And a LOT of it. Food prices are skyrocketing.

Same goes for diapers. I made some cloth ones and got a few nice velcro covers to go with them (so I didn't need pins). I used cloth most days except for trips out, naps and bedtime,

Money for an occasional baby sitter and day or night out. You'll need it from time to time.

Money for day care if you work. By the time you have about two or three kids, it probably won't pay you to work anymore unless you make more than 50k a year. So make sure you can afford to live on your husband's salary if you plan to have more than one or two.

Good luck.

2

By Frances M Meservy
- Posted on Jul 3, 2011

6013

If you are nursing, include tea or coffee because that stimulates your milk glands and increases the amount of milk. Popcorn makes your milk richer and provides healthier milk for the baby.
1. coffee or tea and popcorn (formuler if you are not breast feeding)
2. diapers (please change your child's diaper in the bathroom or bedroom & not in public)
3. mild soap for washing clothes (All has a no color, no scent for people with allergies)
4. Bottles (even if you breast feed, you can put breast milk in them) & Nestle makes baby water
5. Diaper bag (for essentials: bottle of milk & water, diapers, changing pad, change of clothes, blanket, pacifier) You can put your wallet and other esentials in the bag also.

2

By Mariah Chrans
- commented on Aug 7, 2011

00

Popcorn, coffee and tea do nothing for your breastmilk. The caffeine in your tea and coffee affected the baby negatively. Only naturally caffeinated teas, mothers milk teas, and nettle based teas do not have some affect.
Only nursing moms who return to work or plan to be away from their babies need bottles, and most stay at home moms who nurse only need one to at most.
There is also no need for baby water. Nursing babies do not need water, all they need is breastmilk for the first 6 months. If you have any city provided water (not well) your water is completely safe. And if you read the back of the formula can label it clearly states to boil all water before making formula.

By Michelle
- commented on Oct 8, 2011

50

Yeh popcorn and caffeine... no. Your body will pull nutrients it needs for breastmilk from you. Nutrients that caffeine nor popcorn offer... keep taking vitamins if you are not eating super healthy but try to eat as healthy as possible for your sake since your body will pull all the vitamins and minerals it needs for breastmilk from you, leaving you to bear the malnutrition.
Babies are expensive if you work and bottle feed. If you stay home it's not too bad buy diapers at Sam's club they are cheaper until sz 4 and breastfeed. Get a manual pump so you can pump some to have in case you need to run out etc but you shouldn't need to pump a lot since you will be with your baby most of the time.
If you work you will need to pay for daycare, formula ($120-160 per month depending on brand), diapers, breastpump if you want to breastfeed ($150-400 depending on brand), etc.
Depending on insurance you will need to put away money for doctor visits (2 month, 4 month, 6 month, sometimes 9 depending on doc and 12 month) plus extra if you are putting them in daycare. Babies in daycare get sick often most of the time from viruses that a doctor visit won't fix anyways but just to be safe count in extra visits.
Having a baby is expensive but worth it! :)

Always budget for childcare, if you're going to need it, that's a huge chunk. Also, budget for diapering, whether you choose cloth or disposable, because while cloth help you save in the long run, they can be a big investment at the start. If you'll be formula feeding, factor that cost in. Those are the biggies. Equipment and clothing can always be bought secondhand or handed down from friends and family (except for carseats, it's not recommended that you take one of those secondhand). If you're on a strict budget, there are a lot of "nice to haves" that you can do without.

Edit: How could I forget healthcare?! There are a ton of doctor visits the first year just for regular checkups, there's more if baby gets sick. If you have health insurance, you'll likely be able to handle it, but it is something to consider.

1

By Jen Smith
- Posted on Aug 9, 2013

1000

* Childcare is a huge expense. * Diapers, whether cloth or disposable. * Bottles and either formula or a breast pump. * Clothes and toys every few months. * Increased cost of healthcare. * Carseat and stroller. *** And if you can afford it, a housecleaning service to save your sanity!

0

By Grandma Lu Ann Scott
- Posted on Sep 11, 2011

113

I partied on the us bank site w/ CNA to cover for life at better than $10 a mth of Life INS, The website has another company at at better rate including $250,,000. I'm hoping a reliable business is the way to go so that in the event of possible future debt the party, my son would have the best coverage for the best rate without dissolving any earning for gains until 85. I could not hear from Colonial Penn, so I figured my battery was dead, and now they are too, too far away!

0

By Doreen Steinberger
- Posted on Aug 23, 2011

213

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See ya there!

0

By Kathy Christensen
- Posted on Jul 17, 2011

1627

I like Melissa, Vicki and Frances' answers. I still use wipes even though mine are potty trained. I have a friend who buys and sells clothes on ebay. There is nothing wrong with garage sales, either.
I received so much of my baby stuff for free when I had my twins, that I gave it all away to another mom who was having twins, and what I didn't give to her, I've been donating to other moms and a local shelter.
I am a stay at home mom, and now that they are getting ready for pre-school, I am trying to figure out how to fit THAT into our budget.
Cloth diapers would have been WAY less expensive in the long run. They have a high initial cost, but if you can get some friends or co-workers to pitch in for a diaper cake or two for you, that is fabulous. (or maybe grandma's friends!)
Medical expenses can be a problem if the baby is premature, or has any other issue. If you don't have insurance, those well baby check ups add up quick. Many states have special programs and some cities have free or low cost clinics. I had twins and my doctors office was in the middle of switching computer programs or something, so our insurance info was incorrect and by the time we figured out what was wrong, the insurance company wouldn't pay for some of the visits because too much time had passed. Very frustrating!
Most people don't think about this until their babies are getting into everything, but I recommend child proofing everything while you are pregnant! My mom offered to do our cabinets, and I said, 'oh, we have plenty of time for that,' and then it NEVER got done! I also recommend the cabinet locks that feature a magnet instead of just pushing down on the catch after opening the door a bit, they can figure that one out too easy. As for main doors, try out the door knob ones to find one that you can open without hurting yourself. And we've had to put chain locks on a few of ours also.
You probably don't need a bassinette if you have a crib or a playpen with that attachment.
If you are working, check with your doc if you can qualify for disability if you can't work until late into your pregnancy. I had to leave my job when I was about 6 months pregnant with my twins due to safety issues since my office was on the second floor and there wasn't an elevator.

0

By Michelle Tarango
- Posted on Jul 4, 2011

138

diapers, baby wipes, anything your little one could possibly need. But most importantly put aside a little bit of money so you can treat yourself at least once a month, otherwise you'll go crazy

0

By Sally Douglass
- Posted on Jul 4, 2011

00

Definitely include something small just for mom. It makes such a difference to take care of oneself.

0

By Tina Quirarte Loeffler
- commented on Jul 4, 2011

2116

When you are out of work...no it doesn't. Mommy comes last.

By georgette Dennis
- commented on Jul 5, 2011

118

so true Sally, we often get so involved caretaking others that we end up neglecting or omitting something just for us. Additional things should include medical expenses, educational things, for example, developmental toys,for example, building blocks; books (family members will of course read to baby), don't forget basics of food and clothes